Message Theme & Verses: Wisdom Books
Memory Verse: Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
If we want to know about this section of Scripture, it will be helpful for us to define “Wisdom.” The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We can define “wisdom” biblically as skill in the art of godly living. The Wisdom books of the Bible tell us how to live a godly life. God wants us to live in harmony with His plan and created order.
The Wisdom books of the Bible contain songs, prayers, praises, proverbs, riddles and prophecy. One feature of wisdom literature is that it is not for a particular time, but is good for all peoples in all times. We can see the difference in the Wisdom Literature between God’s wisdom and worldly wisdom, called foolishness by the Bible. People can flourish most and become what God has made us to be by seeking out and applying God’s wisdom.
In Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, we see the contrast of the righteous and the wicked, the way they live their lives, and the fate that awaits them as God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. Often Hebrew poetry and songs are used to highlight what it looks like to live in harmony with God’s will.
One feature of Hebrew poetry is using parallels to show us similarities or differences.
Psalm 19:1 uses a kind of repetition to teach about God.
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
And the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
Then, in Proverbs 10:1, we can see a contrast between the wise and the foolish.
“A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.”
Rhyming, parallels, metaphors, and other poetic language helps the reader to remember the wisdom God gives His people through these books.
In the Wisdom Literature, we can learn who God is and how to live for Him. We can see all of the aspects of life including joy and praise, and lament and suffering. These books force us to ask the big questions about life such as what is our purpose, why does evil exist, how can we relate to God, and how do we live the good life.
Read Psalm 51
Jesus in Wisdom Books
Solomon asked God for wisdom and God was pleased to grant him his request. Wisdom was not enough t keep this son of David from sin, but the perfect Son of David, Jesus Christ, remained both wise and holy. In 1 Corinthians 1:24, Paul tells us that Jesus is the power of God and the Wisdom of God. Jesus is the wisdom of the Proverbs, He is the groom in the Song of Solomon. Jesus is the mediator Job longs for and He is the object of praise in the Psalms. We can sing to Jesus and look to Him for the perfect example of living a life pleasing to God. The Wisdom books all point to Jesus.
Questions:
What does it mean to be wise?
Who is the wisest person you know?
Have you ever made an unwise decision? Can you talk about it?
From whom do you get most of your advice? (It is good to talk with people and get advice. Of course, it is better to talk with those who believe in God and seek to follow His ways. The Bible says that it is best to take delight in the Law of God and learn to be wise from the Bible.)
Who taught you how to live a good life?
Have you ever written a song or a poem? Can you share?
Why do you think God allows evil to exist in the world? (This is one of the most difficult questions to answer. Some would even say that because there is evil in the world, there can not be a God. If God is good and all powerful, He would stop evil. People ask the question “why do bad things happen to good people?” The truth is that God is good and holy and all powerful. God gave Adam and Eve the choice to sin or to follow Him and they chose sin. This sin tainted everything and all people are now born with a sin nature, wanting to be selfish only and not able to honor and obey God. There are no “good” people, only sinful people, like you and me who need a Savior. Thankfully, God even uses people’s sin for His good purposes. God’s will was for Joseph to be sold into slavery so Jacob and his sons, even those who committed a terrible sin of selling their brother Joseph, would stay alive in Egypt when there was a famine throughout the land. Even now, God uses pain, suffering, and evil deeds to draw His people closer to Himself and to make us more like Jesus. There are many mysteries to God who’s ways are above our. We may not always understand His plan, but we can trust that He is good and perfect.)
Why do you think it is wise to follow Jesus? (First of all, Jesus is the only one who can save. He is 100% God and 100% man. Jesus lived a perfect life of obedience and then died in our place even though we are wretched sinners. There is no one who loves like Jesus. He is wisdom and it is wise to follow Him. God’s grace through faith in Jesus alone gives us salvation and makes us into new people, both good and wise.)
What should we do with the wisdom from God? (We should use the wisdom God teaches us to live a godly life of obedience. Psalm 51 asks for God to teach us and clean us so that we can teach others. Jesus commanded His followers in Matthew 28:19-20 to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” There is nothing more wise than obeying Jesus and teaching others to obey Him.)
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